First name change

You must apply in writing to the name change authority to change your first name. In municipalities with more than 7,500 inhabitants, the magistrate is responsible; otherwise the district committee is responsible.

• For minors, the legal representative submits the application.
• Explain the reasons for your application in detail. The authority must weigh up all the circumstances of the individual case and make a decision. The longer the name has been used, the greater the public interest in retaining the name.
• Your competent authority collects an advance on fees and then carries out the necessary investigations. In the case of persons over 14 years of age, it will involve various agencies, such as the police. It obtains information from the debtor register at the local court and, if necessary, from other authorities.
• If the requirements are met, you will receive a certificate of the name change. The name change will take effect when you receive the certificate. Otherwise, you will receive a notice of refusal.
• The name change authority will inform other authorities of your name change. These include
  • the registration office,
  • the registry office that keeps the register of births,
  • the registry office that keeps the marriage register or the civil partnership register.
• As soon as the name change has taken effect, you must have various documents (identity card, passport, vehicle registration document) changed. You must apply for these changes yourself.

• You have German citizenship.
• You are entitled to asylum, a foreign refugee, a stateless person, a homeless foreigner or a quota refugee.
• There is an important or serious reason that justifies the name change.

• Registration certificate and valid official photo ID (identity card, passport)
• Extract from the register of births (available from the registry office of the place of birth)
• for stateless persons: travel document or entry from the foreigners authority in the passport or passport replacement
• for homeless foreigners or persons entitled to asylum: entry by the foreigners authority in the passport or passport replacement
• for foreign refugees: Entry of the foreigners authority in the passport or passport replacement
• for persons who have reached the age of 14, a certificate of good conduct in accordance with § 28 of the Federal Central Register Act,
• proof of the outcome of the hearing by the family or guardianship court if the application is made by a guardian or carer,
• the result of the hearing by the family court if the applicant has reached the age of 16.

For further documents, please enquire in advance with the name change authority responsible for you.

• § Section 11 Name Change Act (NamÄndG)
• General Administrative Regulation on the Act on the Change of Surnames and First Names (NamÄndVwV)

Forms: Application for change of name (available for download on the website of the competent authority or on request)

Online procedure possible: no

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

• First name change
• Change of name under public law
• Change only possible with:
  • important reason or
  • serious reasons in children between the ages of 1 and 16.
• important reasons exist if the private interests of the name bearer worthy of protection outweigh the change of name.
  • the public interest or
  • a private interest of third parties in retaining the name.
• Prerequisite: Name must be subject to German law, which is the case for
  • German nationals,
  • persons entitled to asylum,
  • foreign refugees and stateless persons.
• responsible: Name change authority